Damasko DA36 Review

Value is a big part of the discussion here on worn&wound. Often, it’s enough to say that a reasonably priced watch with decent specs and a pleasing design presents a significant value. But for some companies, value doesn’t mean offering just the bare minimum. For these brands, the desire to go above and beyond the fundamentals is what separates them from the pack, and if it can be done without charging the exorbitant prices one has come to expect from the watch industry, then that’s just icing on the cake. If there is any company that has come to embody this ethos in totality, it’s Damasko.

Based out of Regensburg, Germany, Damasko first entered the market in 1994 with a desire to do something new and different. Since its inception, Damasko has set new and exciting standards for both the watch industry and with consumers as to what a small brand could truly accomplish. Led by Konrad Damasko, whose expertise centered on work with fine metal components for the aeronautical industry, Damasko set out on a path to produce watches that were rugged, over-engineered, and simply put, more robust than anything else on the market. Damasko holds numerous patents on everything from their in-house movements and crown design to the very steel used to make their cases.

Today, we’re taking a look at one of Damasko’s entry-level timepieces, the DA36 black. For most companies, an entry-level watch often means making sacrifices for the sake of cost, but such isn’t the case with Damasko. Other than the 3rd party movement, the DA36 boasts most of the revered in-house tech one has come to expect from the brand. As you read the review below, keep in mind that the DA36 black retails for a very reasonable $1,320. What Damasko is able to offer at that price point puts competitors to shame.

(Disclaimer: The watch pictured here is from the writer’s personal collection.)